Life is Easier If You’re Handsome - Chapter 26

Kim Dong-hoo, or rather Lee Jae, was meant to be a hidden card for Dream High.  

They had deliberately tried to keep him out of the spotlight, avoiding exposure in making-of films or media articles.  

But his looks were too striking to stay hidden, and even brief appearances were enough to set the comment sections on fire.  

ㄴIs there really someone this good-looking?  

ㄴHe’s not even Jin Soo-hyuk, so who is he?  

ㄴIf a guy this handsome isn’t getting more screen time, he’s probably just a random extra, right?  

Despite all the speculation—who is he, is he in the show, what’s his name, what role does he play—no clear answers emerged.  

Dream High’s team, however, was happy to have people talking.  

The worst thing in entertainment is to disappear without a trace, after all.  

In that sense, any buzz was welcome with open arms.  

‘Editing is nearly done, and soon the broadcast will air.’  

December was approaching fast, and before anyone knew it, January would be here.  

With Dream High set to premiere in mid-January, there was only about a month left.  

Kim Young-mo, the producer, paused his editing to glance at the calendar.  

Time was flying by, but one concern lingered.  

‘I think we only have about two more days left to shoot with Kim Dong-hoo.’  

With Dream High scheduled for 16 episodes, Kim Dong-hoo, who played Lee Jae, would appear in about five of them.  

It was hard to predict what kind of impact those five episodes would have.  

If his appearances led to a sudden surge in popularity, and if the audience reacted with the same intensity as the online comments had.

‘The story of Dream High might end up changing.’  

Would they need to shoot more scenes and re-edit the episodes?  

“Just imagining it is exhausting.”  

Despite his words, a smile lingered on Producer Kim’s face.  

——-

On the day of the ‘Endless Frontline’ script reading, people noticed an additional seat at the U-shaped table.  

“Whose seat is that?”  

“I don’t know, it just says ‘Student Soldier’ with no name.”  

“I heard CEO Park made a very last-minute casting for that role.”  

“It’s interesting to have someone join midway through the schedule like this.”  

Unlike the other name cards at the table, which listed the actors’ names and their roles, this seat was marked only by ‘Student Soldier’.  

People were curious about who would be sitting there, and the lead actor of ‘Endless Frontline’, Han Taegun, was bold enough to ask the director directly.  

“Director, who’s the new actor? You’re not giving us any hints?”  

Director Kang smiled kindly but avoided the question, his eyes shifting nervously.  

Truth be told, he didn’t know much either.  

‘CEO Park insisted this kid was the one, so I just agreed.’  

But since Kang hadn’t seen any of his acting yet, it was hard to make any solid judgments.  

The only thing he knew for sure was that the kid was incredibly handsome.  

But he knew that wasn’t an answer to Han’s question.  

“You’ll meet him soon enough.”  

“I heard he’s a newcomer, but he’s a bit late, isn’t he?”  

Han’s playful tone made Director Kang chuckle.  

“Looks like you’re becoming an old-school senior, huh?”  

“Come on, you know I’m just joking.”  

“I actually told him to come a little late on purpose. This is his first time, so I figured it’d be good for him to get some attention.”  

He had heard that the actor might show up two hours early if left to his own devices.  

Han grinned and nodded in understanding.  

‘So you want to make the new guy a little nervous.’  

The new, untested addition to the cast, and the question of why a ‘Student Soldier’ role had to be added, had set the stage for a trial of sorts. A chance for the actor to prove himself.  

As the script reading time approached.

“Hello! I’m Kim Dong-hoo, and I’ll be playing the Student Soldier role! Nice to meet you all!”  

With a loud, confident voice, the mysterious figure finally revealed himself.  

At first glance, he looked very young.  

Even if you generously estimated his age, he looked like he’d just started high school.

But in reality, the most striking thing wasn’t any of that.

It was.

“Wow… What’s with that face?”  

His unbelievable looks.  

It felt like witnessing a divine masterpiece walking right in front of you,  

like catching a glimpse of the ultimate beauty that everyone strives for.  

For a moment, the entire script reading fell silent, purely because of his appearance.  

Step. Step.

He was simply walking, but each moment felt like it belonged to a photoshoot.  

This silence persisted as Kim Dong-hoo greeted the senior actors and the director, and until he finally sat down in his seat.  

Everyone had momentarily spaced out, stunned by his unreal appearance.  

“I—I’ve finally gathered everything I envisioned.”

Director Kang murmured in disbelief.  

Wait. So that wasn’t just some edited photo?  

Glancing over, Director Kang couldn’t help but stare at Kim Dong-hoo’s face as he spoke.  

In this day and age, where changing someone’s appearance with Photoshop was a trivial task,  

And where people with drastically different looks from their online photos were everywhere on social media—  

How was it possible that this kid looked even better in person than in photos?  

What had he eaten growing up to look like that?  

‘Don’t focus on that. What matters isn’t his looks.’  

Although, to be honest, looks were important to some degree.

If the acting didn’t hold up, it was all for nothing.  

Kang found himself hoping that at least the bare minimum acting skills would be there.  

If he could just capture that face on camera, it would be a hit.  

“Let’s begin the script reading. Remember, just because there are no cameras today, don’t go easy.”  

The atmosphere lightened a little as people laughed at Director Kang’s attempt to ease the tension.  

“Alright. Let’s not beat around the bush. Let’s start with the Student Soldier part.”  

“Scene 165, the Student Soldier kills a comrade to survive.”  

As soon as Director Kang’s narration ended—  

Whoosh!

The smile vanished from Kim Dong-hoo’s face.  

———

Why does the Student Soldier have no name?  

Because in a life like his, even a name was a luxury.  

In the midst of war, in the barrage of gunfire.

What could be more foolish than holding onto a name in a world where you might die at any moment?  

Warriors gathered under the red flag for the revolution,  

But despite their so-called great destiny, they were treated miserably.  

Baking dirt to eat and chewing on tree roots had become the new normal.  

“What even is a revolution, if this is how we live?”  

Kim Dong-hoo—or rather, the Student Soldier—spoke with emotionless words.  

A boy who had lost his entire family at a young age and picked up a gun.  

His voice was cold, devoid of warmth.  

Looking down, he saw a comrade dying beneath him.  

The same guy who had shouted at him not long ago for taking his food.  

What a worthless fool. 

What did it matter now?  

“Yeah, I ate it. But so what? Is that a problem?”  

Who was there to explain why stealing another’s rations was wrong?  

In this world, their lives were as worthless as flies.  

So, did it even matter who killed whom?  

“If we’re all going to die here anyway, the ones who live should eat more.” 

‘I’ve got to live for my sister too, so I’m really hungry.’

Creaaak.

The sound of scraping against the floor echoed in the ears of those in the script reading room, as if it were the sound of breaking bones.  

An emotionless killing machine, a weapon driven solely by the goal of survival. It killed others to live.  

Everyone was captivated by the presence of the ‘Student Soldier’.  

‘What have you brought here, Director?’  

The usually cheerful Han Taegun couldn’t take his eyes off Kim Dong-hoo.  

He had never thought he lacked anything in terms of acting ability, but what Kim Dong-hoo was displaying now seemed beyond comprehension.  

As those cold, emotionless eyes scanned the room, chills ran down everyone’s spine.  

A monster born of war, shaped by violence and gunpowder, opened his mouth once again.

“It’s a stranger.”  

Whoooosh—  

A deep sigh blew through the room like a storm.  

The emotion was compressed to its limits. It was utterly dry.  

The gaze of a machine, one that had killed countless people without blinking, looked beyond the battlefield.  

“Sister, is there really a paradise for strangers?”  

“It’s so hard to get a bowl of rice and meat soup.”

The level of emotional acting Kim Dong-hoo displayed was far beyond what someone of middle school age should be able to convey.  

Director Kang couldn’t take his eyes off him from start to finish.  

‘How is something like this even possible?’  

The range of emotions was incomprehensible.  

Dong-hoo captured the bittersweet longing for his sister, yet portrayed a complete lack of emotion when killing someone.  

It was a level of acting that should have only been achievable by a machine.

Because humans cannot simply turn their emotions on and off like a switch.  

‘And he’s doing it? As a newcomer?’  

At his very first script reading, in front of countless actors and staff?  

Director Kang’s grin stretched all the way to his ears.  

Finally, the film was coming together.  

Not at 100%, but at 120%.  

And the key to it all was—  

‘Kim Dong-hoo!’  

Kim Dong-hoo was the one making it possible.  

And just as astonished as Director Kang, perhaps even more so, was Kim Dong-hoo’s agency CEO, tenant, and manager, Choi Seok-ho.  

He knew Kim Dong-hoo was handsome and had a rough idea that he could act.  

But what he was witnessing now.

What on earth was this?  

‘I need to rethink my plans.’  

A smooth career path for Kim Dong-hoo? 

That seemed meaningless now.  

Kim Dong-hoo’s acting had the potential to secure everything.  

So, what could Seok-ho do from here?  

After a brief moment of thought, Seok-ho reached a conclusion.  

‘I’ll turn this agency into one tailored perfectly for Kim Donghoo.’  

He would create a space completely designed for him.  

———-

After the shocking script reading,  

Seok-ho and CEO Park immediately signed the contract for the role.  

A master of negotiation, Seok-ho secured the best possible deal.

While CEO Park remained flexible and confident. He saw no issue in giving a bit extra to a promising new actor.  

Thus, the contract for ‘Endless Frontline’ was finalized.  

Time flew once again, bringing them into December.  

“Today is the last day we’ll see Lee Jae.”  

Finally, the last filming day for Kim Dong-hoo’s role in Dream High had arrived.